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Unorthodox
Unorthodox are a doom metal band originating from Silver Springs, Maryland and now residing in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Forming in the wake of a name change from their previous moniker Asylum, Unorthodox continued on with the sound established by the previous band: A traditional doom nucleus with surrounding elements of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, art rock or even just rock and roll. While Asylum was a key band in the embryonic stages of the Maryland doom scene, Unorthodox became a band with branching links to even more bands associated within the doom circles throughout the 90s with their signing to Hellhound Records. In their early days the band released two studio albums with much of the material proper recordings of old Asylum songs, eventually releasing a third album fourteen years later. The band has always been sporadically active in some capacity since 1990, performing with the likes of many bands within the doom circles and even touring Europe (Mainly Germany) on at least two separate occasions. History Asylum and Balance of Power (1990 - 1999) Unorthodox found it's beginnings in 1990. Previously known as Asylum and commonly performing shows in the Maryland and DC areas, Asylum gained a reputation as a doom act in the early stages of the Maryland doom metal scene. When another band named Asylum gained a degree of popularity and success, the band opted to change their name to Unorthodox, founded by the lineup of Dale Flood, Jeff Parsons and Ron Kalimon. The band would perform shows in the same local areas and record a demo that same year which would gain the attention of one Hellhound Records. As a link to their past moniker with a few songs re-recorded under the new name along with a host of new songs, Unorthodox's debut album Asylum would be released in 1992. While exact dates aren't known the band did tour Europe and especially Germany the next year in support of the album. The band would also play a festival in Wilmers Park, Maryland known as Relapse Fest alongside the likes of Internal Void, Macabre and Anal Cunt.YouTubeUnorthodox Wilmers Park Md 1993 relapse fest, accessed 13 June 2018 In 1994, Parsons would leave the group to concentrate on his other band Wretched. With Josh Hart as the new bassist, the band would begin work on a follow-up and by 1994, release their second album Balance of Power via Hellhound. Hart and Kalimon would both leave the group (Hart would focus on Chowder while Kalimon would concentrate on Iron Man and Internal Void). Flood would eventually find a new rhythm section in Gary Isom and Mark Ammen in late 1994, performing local shows and touring Europe in support of the album.YouTubeUNORTHODOX @ Spectators 1994, Accessed 13 June 2018 Eventually, Isom and Ammen would leave Unorthodox in 1996 and for a period the band's story is completely shrouded in mystery. Awaken (2000 - 2009) In 2000, Unorthodox resurfaced though largely playing occasional shows including the 2001 edition of Emissions from the Monolith. At one point resurfacing as a four-piece with Flood, Johnny Wretched on bass, Mikey Phillips on drums and a returning Jeff Parsons on second guitar.YouTubeUnorthodox Fletchers 2002, accessed 13 June 2018 At some point, Johnny Wretched would leave the group, leaving Flood to take the bass role for a short time, though this reversed lineup would be short lived, playing occasional shows in 2003.YouTubeUnorthodox Live - "The Fight", accessed 13 June 2018 Sometime after in roughly 2004 (Though the exact time of reformation is unknown though it is known they played that year's Stoner Hands of Doom), Ammen and Isom would re-join the group with Dale Flood and the band began playing shows again. Notably, along with their appearance at Doom or Be Doomed (Even with a song featuring Bobby Liebling of Pentagram as a guest, a band that Ammen and Isom would later join) was a reunion performance of Asylum featuring Flood, Kalimon and Schreyer. Around the same time of this festival performance the trio of Flood, Isom and Ammen went into the studio to record a third studio album. Unorthodox would sign to The Church Within Records as "Germany and Europe had a bigger interest in our music"Interview via Cosmic Lava Accessed 13 June 2018. After a live DVD entitled Unseen World saw release in 2007, Unorthodox would work with Bruce Falkinburg (The Hidden Hand) in recording their third album. Their first studio album in fourteen years, Awaken saw it's release on 12 September 2008. Rekindling with Kalimon would lead to him rejoining the band as Flood would ask both Isom and Ammen to leave the group not long after the album's release. Needing a bassist the band recruited Jon Blank (Wretched, Wino, Rezin). One of what ended up being three live performances with Blank (24 January 2009) was recorded as a DVD entitled Live at Krug's Place (Later self-released in August 2010). However, tragedy would strike when Blank would die of an accidental heroin overdose on 2 May 2009, less than a week after a performance with Wino at Roadburn Festival. Performing that year's Stoner Hands of Doom, Unorthodox would recruit Mark Laue of The Obsessed to take over the bass role. Relocation to Tennessee and Recent Activities (2009 - Present) Around the summer of 2009 also saw a notable change in Dale Flood as he would leave Maryland to move to Nashville, Tennessee for family reasons. Thus the band's live performances from that point would only be relegated to festivals for a time. Notably, the lineup of Flood, Laue and Kalimon performed at Vultures of Volume Fest. One year later at the inaugural edition of The Maryland Doom Fest, the original Asylum lineup of Flood, Kalimon and Earl Schreyer would perform as Unorthodox. The band was intended to play The Maryland Doom Fest again in 2016 but canceled. 2016 would see a change in the lineup once again as Flood began working with Blake Dellinger and Alan Pfeifer of Flummox. Eventually this new lineup would perform two shows in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 2018 before making a return to The Maryland Doom Fest that June. Discography * Demo 1990 (Demo) (1990, Self-Released) * Asylum (Studio Album) (1992, Hellhound Records) * Balance of Power (Studio Album) (1994, Hellhound Records) * Unseen World (Live Video) (2007, Self-Released) * Awaken (Studio Album) (2008, The Church Within Records) * Live at Krug's Place (Live Video) (2010, Self-Released) Members Current Members * Dale Flood - Guitar, Bass, Vocals (1990 - Present) * Alan Pfeifer - Drums (2017 - Present) * Blake Dellinger - Bass (2016 - Present) Former Members * Jeff Parsons - Bass, Guitars (1990 - 1993, 2000 - 2003) * Ron Kalimon - Drums (1990 - 1994, 2008 - 2015) * Josh Hart - Bass (1994) * Gary Isom - Drums (1994 - 1996, 2004? - 2008) * Mark Ammen - Bass (1994 - 1996, 2004? - 2008) * John Kotsioukis aka Johnny Wretched - Bass (2000 - 2002) * Mark Laue - Bass (2009 - 2014) * Mikey Phillips - Drums (2000 - 2003) * Jon Blank - Bass (2008 - 2009) (Died 2009) * Earl Schreyer - Bass (2015) External Links *MySpace *Interview with Ron Kalimon *Krug's Place DVD *2009 Interview *1990 Demo *Live 1993 *Asylum live 1988 *Unorthodox Live 2015 at Maryland Doom Fest *Unorthodox live 2000 *Unorthodox Live 2004 *Live 2009 at Stoner Hands of Doom *Live 2009 at Stoner Hands of Doom *Live 2007 at Doom or Be Doomed *Live 2007 at Doom or Be Doomed with Bobby Liebling *Live 2007 in DC *Live 2009 with Jon Blank *Live 2014 with Mark Laue References Category:Band Category:Silver Springs Category:Maryland Category:USA Category:Nashville Category:Tennessee Category:Doom Metal Category:Traditional Doom Category:Unorthodox Category:Hellhound Records Category:Dale Flood Category:Gary Isom Category:Mark Laue Category:Jon Blank Category:Progressive Rock Category:Art Rock Category:Psychedelic Rock Category:Rock and Roll